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On rare occasions when professional right-wingers let down their ideological guards, however, they can slip into revealing the truth. But, George Will has sinned on that most sacred of right-wing catechisms, government spending. From that, there can be no reprieve.

In fact, the Republican Party's economic agenda is harsher than anything even Germany's been willing to propose. So why hasn't there been a successful U.S. electoral countermovement along Syriza's lines? There are a number of reasons.

President Obama spoke about a lot of things in his hour-and-10-minute State of the Union address last night, but there's one thing he didn't mention: the caps on Pentagon spending required by the Budget Control Act of 2011.

Paul Ryan's politics dictate that those who are down on their luck -- even children -- are soulless, not the Wall Street bankers who continue to crush the American middle class, necessitating such assistance in the first place.

The President's annual budget demonstrates whether our values are driving our national choices. Are we going to continue to give extra tax breaks worth billions to hot shots in the finance industry or re-direct tax help to decrease the poverty of more than 13 million workers?

We've made irresponsible, irrational budgetary choices when it comes to biomedical research. As a consequence, we're inflicting damage on our biomedical research enterprise that will take years if not decades to repair.

Today, the working poor receive $3-7 Billion in federal assistance. The real number is probably higher than that, but the savings from raising the minimum wage is not likely to be 100 percent. So, let us call it $5 Billion.

The truth is that as a country, we're getting stingier, not more generous with the poor. And the difference between the very rich and the rest of us has grown astronomically since President Johnson declared his war.

I can understand why Republican leaders like this deal. They don't want to risk another government shutdown, given how badly they got burned by the last one earlier in the fall. But America would do better with another temporary spending resolution than with this raw deal.

Congress is again fighting over the budget with Republicans now demanding cuts in federal employee benefits. Is this really about the budget? Or is it about destroying government? Meanwhile hundreds of billions of taxes owed by corporations remain uncollected.

Another Thanksgiving. Family, friends, food, and hopefully some time off to sleep off your turkey-induced tryptophan daze. And yes, that pesky brother-in-law who's especially revved up this year for an aggressive incoming attack well before the gravy boat reaches you.

One of the most basic rights we as Americans have is our voice to be heard. No matter where you are in America you should contact elected representatives to the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Tell them cuts to CDK and ESRD are unacceptable.